ICYMI: Preparing the next generation of educational leaders 

By Lela Majstorovic
Lela Majstorovic is assistant superintendent of Secondary Schools Instruction and Equity, for Elgin-based School District U-46.

Panelists: Guy Banicki, Associate Professor; and Brad Hutchison, Instructional Professor, both of Illinois State University; Moderator: Marleis Trover, Associate Professor, McKendree University.

In this session of the 2018 Joint Annual Conference, panelists discussed the collaboration around the design and implementation of superintendent preparation programs, including collaborative design and implementation and research on educator numbers and concerns. After Illinois required higher education institutions to redesign their superintendent preparation programs, the Illinois Council of Professors of Educational Administration/Leadership (ICPEA) developed a workgroup to embark on a collaborative redesign. Because there were strict guidelines for programs to gain accreditation, ICPEA wanted to pool the resources of its members to ensure coherence around the state.

The work that this group does includes nominating candidates for, and supporting internships for educational administration students at the Joint Annual Conference (one result of which is this panel report), collaborating on research, and meeting quarterly. According to panelist Brad Hutchinson, this group took the lead as a collective as opposed to allowing an outside entity to come in and do this “to them.” Currently, the group has been conducting research on the teacher shortage, teacher preparation, and vacancies and candidates for both teacher and principal positions. Over the past six years, there have been 1,742 eligible principal candidates in Illinois; but there were approximately 2,800 vacancies during that same period. While this is an example from our state, this is really a national issue. Because you cannot have superintendents without teachers and principals in the pipeline toward leadership, this presented a need for this group to work on this issue.

The group started by examining the teacher shortage and identified some reasons why the number of teacher candidates has significantly decreased over the last six years. Around that time, two things happened: Illinois went through a series of budget crises; and the new entrance assessment (TAP) for teacher candidates was released with very low pass rates. A new exit assessment was also implemented, also with low pass rates. The need to focus on the teacher shortage aligns with the national shortage of approximately 60,000 teachers annually.

The new requirements for superintendent preparation programs brought forth a need for the group to develop several advisory boards, including a superintendent advisory board and a regional administration advisory board, on which current administrators who work in this capacity are brought together to provide input and feedback. A focus of the group is to increase the diversity of candidates and reducing barriers for candidates. For example, if a student is interested in a program at Illinois State University, but cannot travel to the school, the dean will work with partners in the group to pass on the candidate’s name so that he or she is able to access an approved program. Another example is to lobby for funding that would allow candidates to access job-embedded coaching throughout their leadership career. Finally, a large aspect of the program is a course-embedded internship where candidates would work adjacently with a school leader (principal or superintendent depending on the candidate’s program) throughout the program.

While the redesign in leadership programs initially posed a challenge, it enabled higher education institutions to develop strong partnerships with each other and with partner organizations in order to provide high-quality leadership development programming throughout the state of Illinois. This allows the group to work to ensure not only consistent and coherent programming, but also the recruitment and retention of high-quality leaders to fill the need in our state.  

Note: Links to the resources in this story can be accessed at blog.iasb.com/p/journal-resources.html.